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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

This 16th-century house, located in Place du Marchidial in Sauxillanges, is a typical example of Renaissance civil architecture in Auvergne. Its façade, partially remodeled, preserves a richly decorated entrance door, with a profiled frame of doucins, pilasters on pedestals, and an imposte protected by a wrought iron gate. The arch in basket coves, the mouldings and the curved bandages testify to a meticulous artisanal know-how, characteristic of the bourgeois or merchant houses of the time. To the left of the door, the departure of an arc suggests the ancient existence of a shop, now gone.

The entrance corridor, vaulted in a cradle and paved with pebbles, leads to a stone staircase, accessible from an inner courtyard. This stair turret, protruding, serves the floors with chamfered doors and opens onto a gallery overlooking the courtyard. These elements, combined with the entrance door and the vestiges of the window on the first floor (a pilastre remains), illustrate the spatial organization of Renaissance urban houses, combining functionality and decoration. The whole was included in the inventory of Historic Monuments by order of 14 May 1973, protecting the door, corridor, facades, stairways and galleries.

The location of the house, on the Place du Marchidial (now Place du Marchedial), suggests its integration into the commercial or administrative fabric of Sauxillanges, medieval village and then reborn from the region. Paving pebbles and the stone structure recall local materials, while the presence of a wrought iron grid and an imposte indicates a concern for security and privacy, typical of affluent homes. The accuracy of the location, noted as "passable" (5/10), suggests minor uncertainties about its exact location, although the official address is clearly identified.

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